Abstract
This paper investigates the effect of sovereign debt default on foreign direct investment (FDI) transactions by US firms into Argentina following the Argentine sovereign default in 2019–20. Using the synthetic control approach, we find that the number of FDI transactions decreased by approximately 60% after the Argentine default with a particularly pronounced decline in the non-manufacturing sector. By examining the changes in the number of transactions, we provide a more precise picture of the cost of sovereign default, capturing the FDI activity of small firms better.